Lamine Yamal turns 19 on Monday of next week and with a little luck, he’ll have helped lead his nation to the 2026 World Cup semifinals. However, Yamal and Spain will have to get past Belgium in the quarterfinals on Friday and their European rivals are firing on all cylinders coming off a 4-1 win to knock out the USA on their home soil. Yamal already has 30 caps for Spain under his belt and was a La Liga Player of the Year while winning the league with FC Barcelona. Now Spain are -350 favorites to advance to the semifinals and Belgium are +265 underdogs in the latest Spain vs. Belgium odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Yamal has only scored once during World Cup 2026, but he has seven goals for Spain and is priced at +140 to score in regulation or extra time on Friday.

However, Yamal does have 11 assists in his career for Spain and he’s listed at +165 to register one against Belgium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. and this will be the third World Cup meeting between the two nations. There are also several other Lamine Yamal props available for Friday’s match. Before locking in your 2026 World Cup picks and other World Cup bets for Belgium vs. Spain on betting sites like FanDuel, be sure to check out top picks from soccer insider Brandt Sutton.

Sutton is a former collegiate soccer player and has been SportsLine’s top soccer editor since 2017. He has followed soccer closely for much longer and factors in managerial tactics, projected lineups and past performances to make the most informed soccer betting decisions possible. Since 2025, Sutton has been profitable across multiple leagues, including the Premier League and Bundesliga. He’s also been profitable on his Champions League picks in 2026. Anyone wanting to follow his World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could see big returns.

Lamine Yamal betting odds

Lamine Yamal anytime goal scorer including extra time (+140)

As a winger that attracts as much attention as Yamal, it’s not always easy to create scoring chances, but Yamal has taken 17 shots so far and put eight on target in 314 minutes of action. His pace and creativity on the wing will pose problems for a Belgian defense that relies on 30-somethings like Brandon Mechele and Timothy Castagne. You can buy this price up to +155 by playing it in regulation, but Yamal’s penchant for big moments makes paying the premium worthwhile here.

Lamine Yamal to assist anytime including extra time (+165)

Yamal provides an abundance of pace and creativity on the outside and it draws a lot of attention from opposing defenses. That gives him opportunities to provide for his teammates, which is how he’s managed 11 assists already in his national team career. He also has a history of creating scoring chances in big matches, having registered four assists during Spain’s title run at Euro 2024 when he was only 16.

Lamine Yamal to record two or more shots on goal (-105)

Spain gradually worked Yamal into action after he suffered a hamstring injury in April, playing him off the bench against Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia. However, he still took five shots and put two on target in his 45 minutes against Saudi Arabia. He’s been in the starting lineup in each of the last three matches and has reached two shots on goal in two of those three matches, so this is a great price.

Top Lamine Yamal picks, player props for Spain vs. Belgium

• Lamine Yamal to assist anytime including extra time (+165)
• Lamine Yamal to record two or more shots on goal (-105)

Manchester City have launched a scheme that will see residents in areas surrounding the Etihad get cheap tickets for home games.

Manchester City are introducing £10 tickets for adults at every home game this season for their most local fans. Starting with the Premier League opener against Bournemouth next month, between 100 and 500 tickets will be available every match for any supporters who live in the areas surrounding the stadium.

The club have worked with fan advisory board City Matters on a new initiative which aims to both protect the local core of City’s support but also open opportunities up to Mancunians who may never have thought they could attend matches despite being on their doorstep. Tickets will be drawn by ballot for every match and will include the biggest fixtures against United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

As defined by the council, addresses in Ancoats & Beswick, Clayton & Openshaw, Gorton & Abbey Hey, Ardwick, and Miles Platting & Newton Heath will be available for the ringfenced allocation. Tickets cost £10 for adults, £7.50 for concessions and £5 for Under-5s, and it is possible for multiple people to apply together if they wish to sit together; seats will be available across the stadium rather than in one particular block or area.

Lee Broadstock, chair of City Matters, said: “We’re really pleased to see the club take proactive steps to help local people watch Manchester City, with thousands of Premier League tickets available for just £10. By making matches more accessible, it will help more people from east Manchester attend regularly, get behind the team and contribute to the atmosphere that makes the Etihad such a special place on matchdays.”

The move is the latest effort from City to connect with their local community and matchgoing fanbase. Season tickets have been frozen for a third consecutive season after passionate pleas from fans in addition to protests in 2025, and matchday prices were reduced that year.

With the opening of the expanded North Stand part of a £300m redevelopment that aims to turn the Etihad into an entertainment destination for every day of the year, Blues bosses are aware that as they create more of a footprint in east Manchester it will have a bigger impact on those that live nearest to the stadium.

Advertisement

Offering reduced tickets is a way of giving those residents a chance to be part of the action; the nearby concert venue Co-op Live, which has City Football Group as major shareholders, offers a similar scheme.

City’s managing director of operations, Danny Wilson, said: “Manchester City has always been rooted in its community and as we grow we want to ensure people who live closest to the Etihad Campus remain part of everything that happens here.

“We know matchdays bring significant social and economic opportunities to the area, but with more matches, more activities and more visitors than ever before, it’s important that those who live closest to us can continue to enjoy the experience, make lasting memories, and be a part of the journey with us.”

What happens in Vegas pays in Vegas.

Jerry Colangelo firmly believed since the 1980s that it certainly pays for the NBA to be in Las Vegas.

On Wednesday, July 8, a press release said that the 86-year-old former Phoenix Suns owner is leading a private equity group to bring Las Vegas an expansion NBA franchise.

Advertisement

The league’s Board of Governors voted on March 25 to explore expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle to begin play in the 2028-29 season.

Colangelo has a Midas touch track record, launching successful expansion teams in the NBA, WNBA and MLB. He began his executive career as part of his hometown Chicago Bulls in 1966, moved to the desert to launch the Phoenix Suns in 1968, co-founded the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1995 and established the Phoenix Mercury when the WNBA began in 1997.

1 / 5

UA basketball’s Koa Peat introduced by new NBA team, the Phoenix Suns

2 / 5

UA basketball’s Koa Peat introduced by new NBA team, the Phoenix Suns

3 / 5

UA basketball’s Koa Peat introduced by new NBA team, the Phoenix Suns

4 / 5

UA basketball’s Koa Peat introduced by new NBA team, the Phoenix Suns

5 / 5

UA basketball’s Koa Peat introduced by new NBA team, the Phoenix Suns

According to Front Office Sports, there are currently nine NBA teams owned private equity (PE) groups. JP Morgan reported in 2025 that nearly one in five teams across the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL now have some PE involvement. Colangelo spoke to The Arizona Republic about the rise of PE groups changing the trajectory of NBA team ownership, and why he’s bewildered the league took so long to pursue Las Vegas.

On private equity group changing the landscape of sports team ownership.

Advertisement

“As you look at team ownership in professional sports today, it’s become a very sophisticated endeavor. Thinking back over my experiences, one, the required equity was substantially less. It’s grown in the decades incredibly. I think in my journey, the Bulls came in at $1.2 million for an expansion team in ‘66. Phoenix was $2 million in ’68. I bought the Suns for $44.5 million in ’87 and sold for over $400 million in 2004, and then things exploded. Our $400 million was the highest price ever paid for a franchise in the history of the NBA, and it took seven years for that to be exceeded, and that was Golden State (Warriors). They came in at $460 million, maybe, somewhere in there. And then I think when Steve Ballmer bought the Clippers (in 2014), things changed dramatically. That was the 2 billion-dollar price tag, and then things changed dramatically when you saw private equity coming in through investment groups. That was a new twist. So, I guess the bottom line is evolve. Things have evolved in so many different ways in terms of valuations, price tags, the extent of groups and individuals interested in putting private equity into a professional sports team. So it’s a whole different game today.”

Why Colangelo’s surprised Las Vegas is without NBA team before NFL, MLB, NHL and WNBA.

“The NBA has indicated that there’s a serious look-see at two additional teams, and the two cities that have been mentioned are Seattle and Las Vegas. Ironically, I thought at one time the NBA would be the first professional team in Las Vegas, and I’m going back years. Obviously, what’s happened is that hockey, now Major League Baseball will be there with the (Athletics) team, the NFL is there (Raiders), and of the four, (the NBA) is the last of the big four, where I thought at one time it would be the first. In fact, I was a proponent of Las Vegas years ago because I thought it had great basketball history, centered around (late college coach) Jerry Tarkanian and UNLV with their great teams, great support, and then Las Vegas became a basketball hotbed for junior basketball, summer basketball, the NBA Summer League, USA Basketball. I selected Las Vegas as our home for USA Basketball, and so that was like a 20-year run (Colangelo was the Team USA men’s basketball director from 2005-21). The interest in basketball has continued in a big way in that market for sure.”

On why a Las Vegas NBA team will flourish.

“The other thing I’d say about Las Vegas, which makes it so unique is I’m very bullish on the franchise in the sense that Las Vegas is as much of an international city in the States when you think about it. The volume of visitors that go through Vegas — and in Vegas, there are similarities to Phoenix as a market — but at the end of the day, I think an NBA franchise in Las Vegas has the potential to be extremely successful for all the reasons that we’re now talking about.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Colangelo talks private equity in NBA, Las Vegas expansion | Exclusive

Universal Tower Defense Z introduced the Hero Relic Set as part of Update 4.0. It can be obtained through the Extractions game mode, which involves completing various activities in an open map. Successfully completing the Extraction mode may potentially grant you pieces of the Hero Set. Being debuff-centered pieces of equipment, the Hero Relic Set is a great option for support and debuff-focused DPS units.

Let’s explore what the Hero Relic Set is all about in Universal Tower Defense Z.

An overview of the Hero Relic Set in Universal Tower Defense Z

The Hero Relic Set can be obtained by completing the Crime Fighting Extraction stage, which is a high-difficulty stage that can take a while to clear. This is particularly the case if you’re attempting to clear it solo, taking anywhere between 25 to 35 minutes to clear based on your team composition.

You can complete World Events in this mode, from which you have a chance to receive pieces of the Hero Relic Set. Whenever a World Event appears, approach it to find out its details and learn if it features the Hero Set or not.

World Events featuring the Relic Set have a 30% chance to drop the Accessory, while the Top and Bottom have 50% drop rate each. Since multiple World Events spawn while attempting the game mode, you needn’t worry about not getting these pieces on your first attempt.

Note that you will only get the rewards in your inventory after completing a successful Extraction. An Extraction notification will inform you when you can exit the stage and receive the prizes.

The mode offers multiple opportunities for Extraction, with a Final Extraction being the endpoint of the run. Note that if you don’t reach the Final Extraction point in time, your run will automatically fail and you will lose the rewards you collected along the way.

Here are the bonuses offered by the Hero Relic Set:

• Accessory: Applying debuffs on enemies grants the unit a 12% damage bonus for 10 seconds and increases debuff duration by 10 seconds.
• Top and Bottom: Increases damage dealt by 40% upon applying a debuff. Both pieces must be equipped at once for the bonus to apply.
• Set Bonus: Hero: Increases damage by 25%, elemental damage by 15%, and critical chance by 5%; reduces SPA by 5%.

Also read: Unique Roblox username ideas for new players

FAQs on Universal Tower Defense Z

How do I get the Hero Relic Set in Universal Tower Defense Z?

The Hero Relic Set can be obtained through World Events in the Crime Fighting Extraction mode.

What is the set bonus offered by the Hero Relic Set in Universal Tower Defense Z?

The Hero Relic Set’s Set Bonus increases damage by 25%, elemental damage by 15%, and critical chance by 5%, and reduces SPA by 5%.

Is Universal Tower Defense Z free to play?

Yes, you can complete all in-game content without relying on any premium purchases.